Peel Environmental’s plans for a £200m energy from waste plant at Kellingley Colliery, North Yorkshire have been given the green light.

The energy centre near Knottingley will produce enough electricity to power around 63,000 homes, once the three-year construction programme is finished.

The plant will save around 95,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, compared with sending the waste to landfill.

The consent, subject to conditions and a section 106 agreement, is another landmark for Peel Environmental after City of York Council granted consent for an anaerobic digestion facility and co-located horticultural glasshouse at Wheldrake, York, earlier this year.

Myles Kitcher, Managing Director of Peel Environmental, said: “This facility is one of a number of energy centres we are developing across the UK which will help broaden the energy mix and move waste away from landfill.

“This decision demonstrates that waste is still a vibrant sector. The overriding economic and environmental benefits of this type of development mean they offer real investment and employment opportunities.”